GenSan pushes for reforms to improve healthcare delivery

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The city government is pushing for reforms in the implementation of local healthcare initiatives to improve the delivery of basic health services to residents.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said Wednesday that they are currently exploring various strategies to make the local government's health services and programs more inclusive and comprehensive.    

Rivera said the move aims to ensure the sustainability of local health programs and expand their reach among local communities.   

The mayor said the initiative was an offshoot of their immersion on Tuesday in a community in Barangay San Jose, as part of the City Leadership and Governance Program (CLGP) of Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The immersion activity was joined by DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, DOH-12 regional director Aristides Tan and City Health Office head, Dr. Rochelle Oco.

Rivera said they engaged with a family from the local Blaan tribe for half a day to learn about their situation and concerns, especially on the health aspect.

He said they found out that the family has not availed of proper maternity care and other basic public health services. As part of the tribe's customary practices, he said the family approved and adopted early marriages for the children.

After the immersion, the mayor said they conducted a focus group discussion to deliberate on the situation of the family and set possible solutions to alleviate their problem.

Citing the situation of the family and the area, Rivera said there is a need for the local government and implementers to expand the awareness campaigns regarding various health services.

"There is a community health center in Barangay San Jose but the family was reluctant to go there. So aside from the provision of basic health programs, we also need to educate our people," he said.

Rivera said another issue that that needs to be addressed is the situation of the barangay health workers (BHWs).

He said the BHWs need to be well-trained and capable, being the key personnel who deliver the health services of the government.

Dubbed "Deep Dive Learning," the innovative immersion activity aims to let key government officials, including chief local executives, to witness firsthand the situation of their constituents.

The initiative centered on the delivery of maternal and child health care in rural barangays being the current focus of the CLGP.

The DILG and DOH had chosen the city as among the recipients of the program, which is supported by the United States Agency for International Development and Zuellig Pharma Corporation, in Mindanao.

The other recipient-local governments are Koronadal, Cagayan De Oro, Iligan, Zamboanga, Pagadian, and Dipolog. (Ian John Lagare/PNA)